


'I need your help.'

by Autumnleaf2203



Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Impalement, M/M, Temporary Character Death, both only happen once tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25733671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Autumnleaf2203/pseuds/Autumnleaf2203
Summary: Canach recieves a letter about certain lingering dragon problems, and becomes a... not-dream-warrior. No he's not letting it be called that, that's a stupid name-
Relationships: Trahearne/Male Player Character (Guild Wars)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	'I need your help.'

‘I need your help.’

Canach found himself a little bit stuck on that first line. His help? Specifically? Considering who this was  _ from _ , he had considerable reason to doubt that. Was this  _ really _ the same tiny, overconfident sylvari that’d put him in custody in the first place? She didn’t quite seem the  _ type _ to admit this sort of thing. So what sort of issue...

‘I’m not going to demand it, you’re likely busy enough already, but it seems we still have Mordromoth problems left. I doubt you’d forgive me for not letting you take a crack at the snake, too.’

Ah, that was... a little more like it, at least. He could guess well enough where any... residual dragon issues would lie- something she apparently knew, as she’d omitted any direct references to it in the letter. It seemed like she was only telling him the bare essentials- which, again, brought into question the first line. He understood why she’d want help with the dragon- as... rough as things were between them when they’d met, he knew it was a relief to her to  _ not _ be the only sylvari of the group trekking into Maguuma, something she’d done a good job of hiding from just about everyone else. That... might explain the change, actually. It was... a traumatic journey, to be sure, but it was always hard to tell with her just  _ how  _ bad it was.

‘I’ve already got a start on the how of it, with the help of an Asura I know I can trust not to get carried away.’

He’d be the judge of that.

‘I’ll be at Lion’s Arch tomorrow, just after moonset. Meet me there if you’re interested.’

...Hm. Well, an interesting proposition, to be sure. She was clearly leaving out a lot of important information, so it was likely she wanted him to keep this secret... it really was phrased like a sort of ‘offer you can’t refuse’ sort of scenario. A part of him wanted to refuse, just to prove her wrong, but... he crumpled up the letter, placed it on the table, and flicked it into the nearby fireplace, watching it burn with mild satisfaction.

\---

"Canach, I presume?"

He stared at the asura in front of him- full-plate, heavy armor, an axe and sword sheathed at the hip and a rifle on her back… between that, how straight she stood, and the…  _ direct  _ tone of voice, he'd have to assume she was from the Vigil. Which begged the question…

"Why?"

"I've been asked to escort you," came the curt answer- and she waited a small pause before continuing. "I've been told you already know why."

Ah, again with the assumptions. Not that they were necessarily  _ wrong _ , just…

"Well, you have my curiosity, at least. Lead the way."

The asura grinned, for only a moment- a flash of mischievousness and triumph in her eyes that she soon enough hid by turning away, starting forwards. "Will do."

\---

The way they travelled was… long, winding, through backways built into the new Lion's Arch that he didn't even know existed- then, to a long tunnel past apparently illusionary rock that the Asura had to flash a keycard at. They were… thorough, he'd give them that… once through, he noticed that the Asura's posture had relaxed significantly- as did her voice when she next spoke. "Sorry about all that, but uh… to be frank, if the inquest catches even the  _ slightest _ wind of what we're doing or where we're doing it, they'll be at our door in moments," she explained, the disdain in her voice not hidden in the slightest.

He raised his brow. "I'd think we could handle them."

"Oh, we certainly could, and I certainly wouldn't mind sending a few to the mists- I'm sure none of us would, but we're… short on time. Can't afford the distraction right now."

She pushed aside a curtain, into a larger section of cave- a few chairs were scattered around a table, various crumpled pieces of paper, schematics, and different colored pens scattered across it, a machine of unknowable purpose in the middle with two… surprisingly comfortable looking beds beside it, a couch in the corner- the whole area was dimly lit enough that Canach could see the reflection of his own glow, as well as…

Ah. Short on time, indeed… he took in the figure resting on the couch, currently leaning into the form of a… still-larger Charr- they'd never met, officially, but he knew * _ of* _ the cat. Albas, the 'Claw of Trinity'- a position in the pact only just less powerful than the commander herself. Though, if meeting the commander had taught him anything… it was likely enough that they functioned more as a group than as strictly different ranks. That, and it was… evident, now, that they were rather close- Albas and the marshall.

...Canach… really wasn't quite sure how to react, seeing him now. He looked… barely conscious, really, gaze blurred, focused on something it was likely no one else could see… Canach gave him a small nod. "Trahearne."

The marshal blinked, coming only slightly out of his daze, taking a couple moments to focus on a new face. "...Ah. Welcome."

He couldn't decide if he looked better or  _ worse,  _ now, than in Maguuma. He was more… conscious, perhaps, than he was after the fight, and after… well, he really shouldn't have survived Caladbolg. None of them quite had an explanation for it, but… after the explosion  _ that _ caused, separating a fair portion of the group, they had eventually managed to find both the commander and Trahearne- along with Albas, who they'd already presumed dead upon finding him at the Stand. All three of them were certainly close to death. Trahearne had apparently lost a couple fingers in exchange for being not  _ quite _ dead, and the commander… the commander had been barely recognizable underneath all the burnt fur she'd evidently caused  _ herself  _ during the fight, not to mention the crash-landing that had gotten her there.

And now, well… he'd apparently gotten his fingers back, but they'd grown into woody claws, other growths along his arm sporting thorns that had, evidently, needed to be filed down- he had to suppress a shudder at how  _ that _ must feel- and he still looked only barely present,  _ exceptionally _ tired…

"...You look… taller," Canach finally decided on- earning only another slow blink.

"...Oh."

He was, thankfully, then distracted from both that near-blank  _ stare _ and what he was nervously aware of as a narrow-eyed  _ look _ from Albas by the Asura suddenly darting forwards, towards the machine, fingers flying across various buttons as the several lights dimmed and died, it's low hum starting to fade- and then she turned, folding her arms, to stare at one of the beds.

"I already told you not to run the thing while I'm gone, didn't I?"

Silence fell over the room for a few moments, and Canach noticed the Asura’s ears start rising. “...Didn’t I…?”

And then a long sigh from under the messy covers on the bed, a muffled voice coming from underneath the covers. “Yes, yes you did, but I’m  _ fine _ .”

The Asura let out a breath, walking the rest of the way to the bed and lifting up the edge of the blankets. "No, you're not. What if something went wrong and I was gone for even  _ longer _ , waiting?"

"I know how to operate it."

"Not in your sleep, you don't."

An irritated grumble. "What time even  _ is _ it…?"

"Daybreak."

"...Too early…"

"You have a guest."

Ah, finally, acknowledgement. Canach watched as a face finally peeked out from under the blanket, apparently still having to squint despite the abysmal lighting. It was… odd; he'd never have pinned her as someone to wake up… irritably. Though he supposed he'd never actually seen her wake- which, then, begged the question if she ever slept at all.

"...Oh. I, ah, I didn't think…" She paused, then let out a breath, pushing herself up. "Well, I may as well leave it there, I suppose."

Canach narrowed his eyes. That… wasn't normal. Most of the time, Seremnis at least put up a  _ front _ of knowing what she was doing, even in Maguuma when even  _ he _ could feel her start to slip; but… now, she just looked…  _ frightfully  _ tired.

"I'd ask if you've gotten any sleep recently, but it appears that's the issue," he remarked, glancing towards the pair of beds- looking back to Seremnis in almost  _ alarm _ as she  _ laughed _ \- though not for very long- and gave him a… sort of lopsided grin.

"I'm glad you're here."

"...You… have a lot of explaining to do."

\---

"So we're fighting Mordremoth? Again?"

Seremnis nodded, wincing a little. "Technically, for the… first time, in my case. You were… significantly closer to the actual heart. And, if I'm honest, I'm not the most keen on asking Trahearne what exactly went down, there- especially now that he's still fighting him off."

They all sat just outside the cave, keeping their voices quiet, hoping not to disturb anyone; himself, Seremnis, and her Asuran friend ('Enkkioh, from the vigil', as she'd proudly introduced herself), as they both caught him up to speed on what was happening.

"...When were you planning on telling me any of this?" he asked.

"Now," chipped Enkkioh.

Seremnis nodded. "I'll be honest, it was… less thought out that I'd like it to be. Enkkioh's been helping nearly since we all left Tarir, if… indirectly at first- contacted her… the day after Trahearne first heard voices again, spent a month building the machine…"

"Three weeks and two days."

"Right. And then… what has it been, a week of testing…?"

"Two and exactly half, so far."

Seremnis winced. "Sorry. The days have been… blurring."

Enkkioh squinted at her. "I say this in the most appreciative way possible, but you're  _ not meant _ to stay underground this long. I’m rather certain you  _ physically _ need sunlight to survive.” 

“I’ve been getting  _ plenty _ of-”

“It’s been three days since you’ve been outside.”

“Are you sure you can’t just… replicate sunlight…?”

Enkkioh took in a breath, then stopped, putting a hand up to her chin. “...That… might not be the worst idea, though I’d… need to talk to an old college friend for designs- they, ah… needed to grow certain plants in. Secret…” 

Canach narrowed his eyes. “What sort of plants, exactly?”

Enkkioh flinched a little. “Oh- no, just, ah… plants that could, possibly, make one claim they’d seen the Eternal Alchemy. Before… being detained, for setting it on fire and putting it in the vents. That was an… odd day.”

Seremnis grinned. “Sounds like fun to me.”

“...Remind me to never teach you botany.”

\---

...This dream was… more peaceful than he thought it’d be. It wasn’t his, of course- that was what the machine was for, emulating what’d happened in Dragon’s Stand, and entering someone else’s mind to fight them; ideally, the dragon itself, and not Trahearne, but… well, it wasn’t like they had better ideas. ‘The roots have already spread too far’, as Enkkioh had put it- so it was up to them to be… dream… warriors... No. No, that was a terrible name. No one was using that name. But, theoretically, since it was still just a small seed rather than the entire dragon, the two of them should be plenty to finally eradicate the thing for good. Now, the goal was practicing combat within a dream, which meant finding- ah.

He stood, currently, on a large, dark and moonlit field- scores of stars above, grass lush, long and green below, blown by a small but pleasant breeze, interrupted only by a small voice, almost ritualistically repeating what… after some consideration, he believed to be constellations. Certainly made finding her easier.

He’d make his way through the grasses, noting that he was, apparently, still wearing his full set of armor in the dream- it… was her dream, he supposed, and he hadn’t exactly shown up in anything else as of late…

She’d sit up abruptly when she saw him, dark shadows of necromantic energy appearing at her fingers for a moment, the surroundings seeming to… blur, a little, before she recognized him, seeming to calm back down as she looked at the sky- still only barely visible between the tall grass. She wasn’t even taller than the  _ grass _ , sitting where she was. “Right. Sorry, not used to… people, existing,” she muttered, looking back up at the sky.

He paused. That was… an odd introduction. “...In your dreams?”

“Right, yes. Talking to me.”

“...What do people  _ usually  _ do in your dreams…?”

“Abstract into meaningless nonsense.”

...The way she was responding, it… half sounded like she wasn’t even aware she was saying it out loud- sort of mumbled, words slurring together…Hm. Maybe a quick test of that, then.

“...Why  _ are _ you doing this, exactly?”

She blinked, turning to him. “Oh. That’s… sort of complicated, really…” And, after being clear for a moment, her voice quieted again, gaze focused on the grass. “...I guess I owe it to him, at this point, but… what else am I supposed to be doing…? The commander has  _ plenty _ to deal with, you have whatever Anise is somehow still dragging you into, everyone else is… am I saying  _ all _ of this out loud?” She suddenly questioned, looking back to Canach. “I mean can he-” A pause as she squinted. “...Can you hear  _ all _ of that?”

He took a long breath. Alright, this would be… interesting. “...Yes.”

She blinked, looking back to the grass. “But I didn’t- can I actually just think a  _ thought  _ to myself there’s never really been anyone else here so I guess I’d never know but I don’t know how to keep every single  _ thought _ \- I-”

Canach noticed, with no small amount of alarm, the sight of thorned vines starting to appear from the other sylvari’s fingers, starting to grow up her arms-

-

\--

He didn’t quite have the time to react before, abruptly, he was once again in that dark, dimly lit room- a pleasant warm glow having been recently added off to the side. He blinked a couple times to adjust to the light, sitting up to take in Enkkioh’s panicked expression as she looked between the two, both ears up and on high alert.

“What  _ happened _ in there? This was supposed to be a practice run at  _ best _ , you weren’t supposed to  _ fight _ anything!”

“...We… didn’t,” he responded, vision still slightly blurry after just waking up.

Seremnis, apparently  _ much _ more awake than he currently was, took a few deep breaths herself. “...It’s… we’re fine, just some… unexpected issues. Probably nothing out of the ordinary,” she responded evenly, the Asura looking back over at her, seeming no less distressed at the answer.

“What ‘unexpected issues’?”

...Even as tired as he was, Canach was  _ keenly _ aware that this conversation wasn't about to end any time soon. There was, quite frankly, no way in the whole of Tyria or  _ beyond _ that Seremnis would admit what had actually just happened.

“Nothing that can’t be handled,” he interrupted, giving Seremnis an even stare. “Though I  _ do _ think we need a moment to talk.”

She stared back. “...About what?”

“...Or would you rather…?” He’d tilt his head towards the machine, noting the physically distant spike of fear- despite the other’s expression remaining entirely unmoved. Back to normal, then.

“...Fair enough.” She stood, stiffly making her way towards the back of the room, waving away a curtain to what seemed like a… rather asura-sized hole. Not comfortable, but… he was plenty stubborn enough to make it through.

\---

Though, thankfully, it seemed the cavern widened considerably after that initial entrance- eventually leading to the top of the cliffs, nearby Lion’s Arch’s new lighthouse. She’d gotten there before him, of course- not wearing heavy armor and all- and had picked out a flat, if… small space on the cliffside. The only way down, from here, was, well… scaling- likely for secrecy, again…

Seremnis was looking down at the ground below, a twitch of an ear the only indication that she'd noticed him.

"...Well, that went miserably," He began, settling down a… fair bit further from the edge.

"...It…  _ could _ have gone worse," came the hesitant reply.

"...How?"

"Could've been longer." She smiled, just a little, like that was a joke, then… faltered. "...Not that this is going much better."

"...Well, you don't  _ look _ like you're panicking."

She only winced, leaning forwards a little more, failing to respond. So… that was only external, then. He got the distinct notion that the whole 'communication' thing wasn't exactly a strong point.

"...We  _ are _ going to have to address this," he continued.

"..Not… not necessarily," she began slowly, looking up towards the distant horizons. "Dreams are… volatile. They tend to follow whatever you believe is true, so any suggestion is, ah. Magnified." She took a breath. "If you think you're in control, you are, but even the smallest doubt can lead to disaster- losing control, falling into nightmares… if that dream had gone on much longer, it… might have put us both in danger."

...He… hadn't much considered that. He wondered if that was how the commander had won- shear confidence in… well, everyone. Even Caithe. He… begrudgingly supposed, given that they'd won the fight, that she really  _ did _ have good reason for wanting the dragon dead, and… well, clearly so did Braham- and the charr herself… thorns, he'd had to restrain himself from throwing any explosives at her, what with all the growling- her teeth had been bared, fur covered in fire more often than not… if not confidence, they all surely had fury.

Seremnis let a moment of silence pass, and, seeming to note his silence, continued. "It's taken… a long time, getting… even what control I have now. Those vines… I know, logically, they can't be a sign of anything  _ actually _ wrong, but…"

He was starting to wonder if she even remembered he was there at all.

"...There was a time, longer than I'd like to admit, where they were… all there was, everywhere, thorns and… we started the monitoring when I started waking up with physical lacerations. I only realized why it was happening and how to control it so no one would threaten to stop the experiments for my sake."

...What bothered him more than the thought of being hurt by someone's dream- and that, certainly, bothered him- was how entirely  _ unphased _ she sounded. Those sounded like nightmares- thorns, those  _ were _ nightmares, clear as day, and all she seemed concerned about was the  _ experiment ? _

"...Do you really think you're going to be able to fight  _ Mordromoth _ if your  _ own _ dreams are that antagonistic?" he asked- seeing her flinch, looking back at him with much the same expression she'd had in her dream, then look away, seeming… uncomfortable.

"... I have to try." The response seemed… too automatic, and he'd wait a couple moments for something more substantial- and… still distant, he felt a moment of resentment as she looked away from him, her fingers scratching at the stone cliff, solidifying the feeling as hers, before the feeling fell away into… something he couldn't quite feel. It was… odd, he realized- he must only be feeling the strongest of emotions, something that… rather clashed with his experience when they'd first met. Then, his impression of her as over-confident and self-important had been far clearer than any outward impression she'd given, but… clearly, something had changed. And then…

"...But… I guess I don't," she eventually replied- the admission almost seeming to take a physical toll. "Not on my own."

"...And you think I'll be the difference-maker?"

She looked back at him, then, disbelief in her expression. "Of  _ course _ I do. You went further into Maguuma than  _ I  _ did, and held your own the entire way there."

"But you  _ could _ have asked someone who's actually _f_ _ ought _ the dragon."

She bristled, tone now defensive. "The commander has enough to worry about already, and no one knows where Braham is."

"And Caithe?"

...That… hit a nerve, apparently, given that she stopped looking at him again. From what he could tell, the sapling had near-deified the firstborn, trusting her unconditionally even after the egg had been stolen. He found it hard to sympathize. And yet… somehow, he was unprepared to hear a quiet answer, empty of any resentment.

"...Not even _I_ can find Caithe when she doesn't want to be found."

"...So she's hiding again," he responded bluntly, unwilling to keep the spite from his voice.

And yet… still, no anger. "...I always knew I didn't know everything about her, but I thought… I thought I at least knew more than most. And I know- I'm still certain she  _ cares _ , but…"

" _ Surely _ you know by now that they aren't all flawless?"

That, finally, seemed to spark a little anger. "I've  _ met _ Faolin. I was  _ there  _ when the commander was using the memory seeds, I… I know she's not perfect. They're all just as flawed and  _ broken _ as we are, if not more so." And she took a breath, steadying herself. "...But I still trust them. To try their best, at least. I just… wish she'd talk to me."

\---

The conversation had, more or less, ended there. Canach didn't quite know how to respond to that, and Seremnis had seemed… honestly embarrassed that she'd shared that much to begin with. Funnily enough, that was the first question on his mind; why  _ had _ she said that much? It hardly seemed intentional, she'd  _ started _ by denying that she even  _ needed _ to share anything, and then just… kept talking. And, yes, they'd taken the journey through Maguuma  _ mosty  _ together, but besides apparently inspiring confidence, he really didn't think it'd brought them  _ that _ close. So then… what was it? Was it just some need for someone to talk to? No, she probably had  _ someone _ else to… hm. That was… a thought, actually. Caithe was clearly out of the picture, likely had been for a while, Trahearne was… definitely a no-go… most of the other firstborn were stationed at the Grove rather permanently, and… had she ever mentioned anyone  _ besides _ firstborn? As much as she apparently trusted Enkkioh, she clearly wasn't telling the Asura everything, either… 

\---

"A question for you."

She gave him a rather heated glare as he asked. He'd expected it, given that he'd waited until they were sharing dreams to ask, but, as she had yet to start rambling to herself, he figured she was a fair bit more confident this go-around. "Do you have friends?"

He watched as she went rigid, evidently trying  _ very  _ hard not to reply, but eventually blurting out, "Of  _ course _ I have a friend!"

Hm. Interesting. " _ A _ friend?"

"I- I don't… I don't think I'd call- the sylvari I know  _ friends _ , it's… it's something  _ else _ that I'm not sure quite how to…"

"So your one 'friend'  _ isn't _ sylvari?" He wasn't entirely sure why he was being so blunt about it- maybe just the simple satisfaction of finally getting a straight answer, maybe the effects of being in a dream… who could say.

"I- No, she isn't, and that's all you're getting," she snapped, glaring him down as he raised his hands in mock-surrender.

"In my defense,  _ you _ invited  _ me _ ."

"And I can-  _ uninvite _ -" She paused, then seemed to calm somewhat, to more of a… weary, than angry, sort of state. "...In  _ my _ defense, it's classified and irrelevant."

"I suppose that explains how you became friends." He smirked, but she… seemed to take it in good humor, letting out a short breath.

"Well, it certainly wasn't first impressions."

"Oh?" He folded his arms.  _ That _ sure sounded like a story.

She grinned. "All you need to know is that it was probably worse than yours."

Oh, that was  _ not _ all he needed to know in the  _ slightest _ . "And how, pray tell, do you top  _ arresting _ someone?"

She let out a breath. "First, if it helps you any, I already regret that- second, try drunk for the first time in my life while fighting off pirates."

Well. That was… he still didn't think it was  _ worse _ , but… unexpected? Most definitely.

"...I didn't quite pin you as the type to get drunk and look for fights," he said slowly- steering the conversation away from that first sentiment.

"I don't make a  _ habit _ of it, it just… happened to be the best plan at the time."

"Plan to do  _ what _ _?" _

She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Nothing you need to know."

\---

It'd been a few days, now. They'd started to practice combat in their shared dreams- Canach had found it… surprisingly easy, simply using the skillset and equipment he already had. They'd both attempted to do more, through sheer power of belief, but it'd ended up being more trouble than it was worth. It was easy enough to forget the ticking clock in their dreams, but when they woke up…

\---

"Mind if I pull you aside for a moment?"

Canach looked back at Enkkioh, considering. Seremnis had… left in a hurry, recently, saying only that she needed to get to Tarir- nothing on why, or when she'd get back… Still, after all this, Canach doubted she'd be gone for long. But… for now, that left…

"...Why, exactly?"

The Asura shrugged a little. "Mostly, just… saying thanks? This is all a pretty big commitment."

He turned to watch her a little more carefully. "...Why did  _ you _ agree to this?"

"Well, I mean- c'mon, there's no way I  _ wasn't _ taking the opportunity." She took a couple steps forwards, gesturing expressively with her hands. "I mean, it's  _ Trahearne _ . He's probably managed to do more for Tyria from a  _ desk _ than the entirety of Rata Sum  _ ever _ has."

...That… was not where he'd expected that to go. He was starting to see why Seremnis liked this one. "And Maguuma changed nothing for you?"

"Well, yeah- I ran with the Pale Reavers as far back as Orr, and if  _ that _ didn't give me enough respect for sylvari, I could still barely keep up with them with an  _ elder dragon _ buzzing around in their heads." She folded her arms. "You couldn't pry this chance from my cold, dead hands."

...And she… sounded sincere. Almost insulted, even, like this was a matter of pride- he… hadn't really seen many Asura in the vigil that didn't rely on some form of tech or magic, he reflected- might explain why she sounded like she was trying to prove something.

"So you want him back as marshall?" he continued, and… noticed the Asura's ears fall.

"...Honestly, I… don't think there's much of a chance of that. Even after we get rid of the last bit of Mordy, there's… still been a lot of damage done." A look of determination rose on her face. "...But he deserves the rest of his life, whatever he chooses to do with it. 'S not like it'd be the first time a good warrior faced an early retirement."

"...What  _ are _ you going to do after all this?"

"Oh, go back to normal Vigil duty. I'm not allowed in Rata Sum anymore, anyway." She gave a nonchalant shrug.

"...Why not?"

Enkkioh grinned, sharp teeth on proud display, and took her rifle from it's sling, patting it lovingly. "'Councillor' Flaxx didn't like his new ear-piercing."

...Yeah, this one was alright.

\---

Canach watched Seremnis as she seemed to struggle finding the right words. She'd been gone longer than he'd thought she'd be- longer than she'd anticipated herself, it seemed- and, upon coming back, she'd asked Canach to talk, alone, in the same place they had before- on the clifftop. It was late, the breeze off of the ocean cool, but not quite cold, giving the air a salty taste.

"...I think I'm ready," she eventually said.

"...You're… entirely sure?" He replied, honestly surprised. She'd still seemed dissatisfied when she'd left…

"I'm sure. You're- we're both plenty capable of fighting, and what's left of Mordremoth is  _ tiny _ . We can't wait much longer."

"...What…  _ happened _ , at Tarir?"

She thought for a moment, then let out a breath, smiling. "In all, honest truth? I talked to Caithe, and I realized on the way here that we're capable of  _ weaponizing _ a confidence boost like that. If you're ready yourself, I doubt we'll have a better opportunity."

He stared at her a moment or two. In all honesty… he couldn't say he could recall her ever speaking to him like that before.

"...Well, then. I'd say we're ready."

\---

“...Alright, if both of you are sure.” Enkkioh turned to the machine, ears raised at attention as her hands flew across the keys- then waited in silence, staring at the screen, then hesitantly pressed a few more. “It’ll take a little while to calibrate, so you may as well get comfortable. Just remember, if anything goes wrong,  _ anything _ -”

“We know,” Seremnis interrupted, giving the asura a smile. “We’re safe in your ever-diligent hands.”

Enkkioh let out a breath and folded her arms, ears falling. “...Just take care of yourselves, alright…?”

\---

-

A breath in… a breath out.

He never quite remembered falling asleep for these things, but he remembered waking up- and, as always, he opened his eyes, sitting up. But it… wasn’t the rolling hills, grass and stars he was used to.

Vines. Everything was… it was a sort of almost spherical area encompassed  _ entirely _ by vines, thorned and ever-so-slightly pulsing, that familiar… irritating  _ buzzing _ once again in his ears. Though it was… fainter, than he’d thought it’d be... 

He stood, somewhat hurriedly, and took a better look around, seeing Seremnis stand nearby and letting out a breath. It was… less immediately dangerous than he’d thought, too- something about this was distinctly…  _ off _ . 

“...How are you feeling?” He’d ask, noting that Seremnis hadn’t said anything yet- and she’d perk up a bit, looking back towards him.

“A little nauseous, if I’m honest- but nothing I can’t survive,” she replied, wincing as she looked around the room herself. “Not… the  _ best _ feeling being back here, either…”

“But it means we’re on the right track.”

“Unless this is some sort of trap…”

He'd notice Trahearne only a moment before she did; huddled in the epicenter of the vines as they curled up his arms and back; he looked… like he once did, before Maguuma, for the most part, but he was breathing hard, eyes closed, looking…  _ pained _ , more than anything. Seremnis stepped closer to him, slowly, knelt beside him, placing her hand on where his…  _ should _ be, if it weren't entirely covered in vines by now.

"...Are you there, Trahearne? Can you hear us?" She asked- sounding more quiet and concerned than he'd ever heard her. And the firstborn  _ seemed _ to nod, if… almost imperceptibly… 

"...Well, I'm not sure this seems like a battlefield," he'd comment after a few moments of silence. "More like a… holding cell…"

Seremnis' ear twitched, and she'd nod a moment after. "...I can hear it clearer here… but there's still no obvious  _ source _ to it. And like any thief, it's hard to fight something you can't _s_ _ ee _ …" She closed her eyes, taking her then-free hand and grasping the vines beneath it. "...But it  _ won't _ escape."

He had a…  _ vague _ notion of what she was doing; she'd told him, once, that she'd learned to see the 'life force' of things without necessarily having to  _ see _ them with her own eyes- something he'd, ah…  _ jokingly _ thought must help when dealing with Caithe, not that he'd dare say it out loud. It was taking… worryingly long, though- especially as he noticed those same creeping vines curling around  _ her _ fingers, in uncomfortable symmetry with Trahearne himself- he'd take a few steps to the side when they started curling around his own feet, grimacing. Not good, definitely not… he'd look back towards Seremnis. She hadn't moved, hadn't reacted in the slightest; and as much as he'd like to believe she'd noticed…

"Seremnis? Any progress?" he called, dodging the grip of another vine and failing to hide the mild spice of panic in his voice. If he lost her here…

Another moment, and she'd open her eyes. "...It isn't hiding. This is all…"

Canach paused for a moment. "Just like Dragon's Stand." He then started, feeling a vine around his ankle, jerking his leg to free it and nearly falling over when it broke. "We have other problems, though-"

And then,  _ pain _ arched through his body like an electric  _ shock _ , running up his back and down his arms trailing a violent  _ chill _ as he stumbled, fell; scrambled back to his feet, surprised to find the vine from around his ankle gone, and soon after, hearing the loud bellow of a dragon's roar- now, for once, wordless, in  _ pain _ , the entire 'room' shuddering. He turned to Seremnis- still kneeling, but holding one hand further above the vines, breathing a little harder, looking at Trahearne- then to Canach, shaking her head.

"I- sorry, I didn't think…" She stood. "I can't hurt  _ just  _ the dragon." She looked back towards the firstborn, shook her head again, and began walking around, no direction seeming to be in mind. Thinking hard, then. "...And if we all die with the dragon, this was pointless, but… maybe, maybe-"

"I wouldn't," Canach interrupted, looking around. "If you're right, the walls have ears."

She nodded. "And the ceiling, and floor…"

The problem, then, was that, in practice, they'd only been asleep for set periods of time before being woken up again- but… they'd expected this to be the final fight; no time limit was set, and being asleep made it rather hard to communicate with the outside world…

"So, you have any theory on how to get back out of here?" he asked.

"Well… technically, one, but I doubt either of you are going to-"

-

\---

...Breathe in…

He opened his eyes again to that dim, warm light, blinking a couple times in mild confusion. He was  _ sure  _ neither of them had done anything, how did…?

"What happened, both of you!?" Enkkioh's voice rang clear as she stood at the end of the bed, ears standing at full attention. " _ All _ of your vital signs just-  _ dropped _ for a moment, and the next thing I know, the  _ marshall himself _ is telling me to wake the two of you up!"

"...Trahearne…?" he repeated slowly, sitting up.

Enkkioh let out a breath. "Yeah. So if you don't mind, what…?" She gestured towards him, then towards Seremnis, just waking up herself.

"Not much, but… we really are running out of time; and what we have set up now won't work," she explained, glancing towards Canach. "But we're  _ not _ giving up now."

He nodded in affirmation. "Not by a long shot. It might've hurt us in the process, but I heard the dragon's roar. We  _ can _ hurt it; we just need another way in."

"I… don't think we were quite in Mordremoth's mind; only Trahearne's. If we could get another machine into the dream…" Seremnis trailed off.

Enkkioh perked up, nodding. "Then I'll go in with you. I know the specifics of it, and I can protect you while you're fighting deeper in the dream. I don't imagine Mordy'll leave you alone on my end."

"Then who'll be left to mind the machine here?" Seremnis asked, looking between the three of them.

And… Canch’s gaze first drifted to Albas and Trahearne. The firstborn looked… worse for wear, certainly- his breathing was shaky, fingers clinging to the Charr’s fur as Albas held him close, muzzle buried in Trahearne’s shoulder… even Canach could feel, muddled and… twisted as it was by now, the firstborn was  _ scared _ . And… more than that, having seen him like…  _ himself _ , in the dream, only made it plain how much the corruption had changed him. It’d gotten… worse, in the time they’d spent preparing… honestly, if he hadn’t watched the change happening, he might’ve mistaken him for Mordrem. Trahearne… he had good reason to be scared. Flawed and broken indeed...

Looking to Seremnis, then… he didn’t doubt some of the fear was hers, as well- and… for once, he could see it on her face, as she watched them. Then, she stood, walking over to them and making her way onto the couch next to them (and, he noticed, with only the  _ mildest _ hint of jealousy, that Albas  _ didn’t _ glare at her as she did so), and then, slowly,  _ hesitantly _ , even, she put a hand on Trahearne’s shoulder, watching him with ever-clearer concern.

“...Only a little bit longer, and it’ll be over. Mordremoth will only be a memory, and you’ll have the rest of your life to spend, worrying about the rest of us.” A small, honest smile snuck onto her face. “You only have to fight a little longer.”

Canach nodded, finding the smile mildly infectious. “And besides, some of us have places to be,” he added, pointing between Albas and Trahearne. “You two, a honeymoon, evidently.”

He smiled a little more as that appeared to earn a quiet laugh from Trahearne.

“Well,  _ first _ , we need the proposal,” Seremnis added.

Canach clicked his tongue. “And here I’d thought I’d missed a ceremony somewhere along the line.”

He felt a small pang, and… in mild surprise, found it to be his own. He… suddenly wasn’t quite sure how much he wanted this to be over- and it would be, whether they succeeded or not. He couldn’t stay here, and he very much doubted anyone else wanted to. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience, for the most part, but… oh, so sue him if this was more pleasant than he’d expected, being a part of this. Whatever it was.

"Oh! I've got it!" Enkkioh chirped, perking up a fair bit herself. "Since Trahearne can clearly hear and understand us in there, I'll just tell you two how to turn it off once we win!"

“That...  _ would _ hinge on us winning,” Canach said slowly.

“And you will! I mean, five minutes in and you already hear it  _ roar _ _?”_ The asura grinned, looking between them. “The dragon should be afraid of all of us.  _ Very _ afraid.”

-

\---

And that… was the plan, it seemed. They’d gotten things set up pretty soon after that; Enkkioh had evidently fallen asleep first, given the setup they’d waken up to. She had the machine in some sort of metal casing on her back, and was already kicking away vines, claiming to see something vaguely solid underneath- not that Canach ever really saw it, the vines already rising up to try and entangle their feet, evidently far more aware of them this time than the last. He had to pull Seremnis out of some- still apparently feeling that vague nausea, not entirely processing the dream yet as she entered. Soon enough, Enkkioh would stomp, hard, on a particularly obnoxious vine, looking up towards them.

“Alright, I’m gonna go ahead and speed things up a bit; I’ll protect you from here, now go rip that dragon’s spine out of its mouth!” She called, the lights of her gauntlets- ones Canach was  _ sure _ weren’t there before- glowing a bright blue- and he’d try to explain that the dragon likely didn’t have a spine, but his words slurred as the world once again darkened, the feeling of falling soon taking over-

\---

\-----

-and suddenly stopped as he hit water, eyes opening with the cold shock, looking around. There was no hint of a surface, only his own glow shining through the water mixed with bright violet that he’d have to assume originated from Seremnis. There was no other light, no air- every movement still felt… sluggish, like the water was thicker than it should be. But perhaps they were still just waking up…

**_Welcome home._ **

The voice echoed, loud and deep, through the water, through his head- he’d bite back a retort, given the whole lack of air situation, but-

“The lighting is  _ terrible _ ,” snipped Seremnis beside him- and even without the vague impression of facial features her glow gave him, he could  _ tell _ she was smirking. Ahhh, right- their dreams, their rules. He took a long breath himself- the air smelt like rotting leaves, but it was air. This all wasn’t what he expected, which did worry him slightly, but they still clearly had  _ some _ control over things.

“And the decor? Absolutely  _ shameful _ ,” He’d add, pausing as the sound echoed around them. So not a very  _ large _ place they were in, then… he’d start aimlessly floating forwards, seeing Seremnis follow close behind.

**_You do not appreciate what I have tried to give you._ **

“Oh, right, thanks for the trauma,” Seremnis replied blandly.

**_You would have made a suitable new champion._ **

Canack reached a hand forwards, feeling a smooth, membrane-esque wall in the darkness, nodding to himself and unsheathing his sword, bringing it forwards to stab into it’s flesh- feeling it pierce through with satisfaction, along with the  _ distinct _ lack of pain on his own end, a loud rumble coursing through the water, turning into a low growl of speech.

**_Do you think I cannot see you? Your efforts mean nothing._ **

Canach huffed, sticking the sword in further and starting to tear downwards, feeling the flow around him start to tend outwards. He could  _ hear _ the pain in the dragon’s rumble, he  _ knew _ they were doing something- he felt the water beside him suddenly jerk, turning to see Seremnis’ telltale glow partially obscured by dark, long, shapes- vines, they were- he’d pull his sword out of the tear, trying to reach for her, but only catching the feeling of her fingers trying to grasp his own before the water surged, and she was pulled below, far, far out of sight. Well. That was most definitely very bad. Still, it seemed to be… ignoring him. Great. No, that was- ugh, it gave him time to figure out what this thing was. He’d grimace, turning back to the tear and cutting further, the flow of water pushing him out- and he'd fall for a moment before hitting rock- slippery, covered in… moss, probably, but flat- and no longer underwater, thankfully.

Then, he looked up.

It was brighter here, yes, but the place was…  _ enormous _ . He couldn't see a ceiling to it- vines would  _ seem  _ to make a ceiling or floor, and then twist up into the darkness; and it certainly wasn't brightly lit. He caught sight of a single spark of light twisting through the winding branches, then a few seconds later, another… He stood up straighter, gripping his sword tighter. Mordremoth's mind was dark, but he doubted that was normal- an elder dragon couldn't live forever on one firstborn, not nearly as powerfully as it once had. A parasite was rarely ever stronger than it's host- and, tough as he was, Canach could fight  _ Trahearne. _

**_You are alone here. There is no one left to save you._ **

Canach let out a snort. So? There never had been. Hadn't stopped him yet. He'd watch the water pouring out from behind him, spilling off the edges of the little rocky island he'd found into the abyss below, and then stepped forwards. The dragon must be hiding somewhere- if he found it, this should be over quickly.

**_You will fall again, and this time, you will not recover._ **

Was the dragon even  _ trying _ , at this point? It had been… rough, yes, in the Heart, but he certainly wouldn't say he'd ever actually… he'd stop, looking over the path of crumbling rock he'd been travelling over, feeling a sudden and abrupt pain in his… shoulder? Definitely, though… no, that wasn't his. A small mote of panic settled into his throat. Why… why wasn't Seremnis back by now? She'd been training for this longer than he had, had  _ far  _ better reasons to see it succeed; he hadn't thought she'd be delayed for long, not by…

_ She is afraid of being alone. _

...That… wasn't his thought. It wasn't loud- it wasn't Mordremoth's- no,  _ Trahearne's _ . And it wasn't uncertain, either- Trahearne  _ knew  _ her, and if  _ he _ knew it, so did-

Canach cursed under his breath- belatedly realizing the firstborn would likely still hear it- and turned, sprinting back up the stones. He  _ had _ been right- the dragon was ignoring him, in pursuit of easier prey. The first thing it'd done is separate them- he skidded to a stop as he saw the stones in the path above him actively rising, gritting his teeth. Where Seremnis would be… so would Mordremoth. No unless. No doubt. Mordremoth would be there. That was how dreams worked. And the pain had been getting… worse, the closer he got, which meant…

A breath in. A breath out.

Canach ran forwards, leaping up the stones as they came free from the pathway, climbing steadily higher- then less steadily, as they rocketed up further, clearly trying to throw him off- and then, seeing the shimmer of water now far, far below, he'd take one last leap forwards, and dove.

\----

And back into the water. Shards of light still occasionally pierced through the dark now- the hole must've gotten…  _ much _ larger, with all the water pouring through it earlier- but still, nothing could pierce the depths. The deeper he went, the more pain he could feel- something digging  _ into _ his shoulder, constricting around his arm… he grit his teeth, swimming deeper.

**_It is too deep._ **

Canach growled to himself, pushing himself deeper anyways.

**_You will all fall._ **

No. None of them would.

**_You will fulfill your roles. You will serve._ **

The voice had been growing louder, more impatient the deeper he got- but, in all fairness, so had Canach. He hated underwater combat already, and this tense sense of waiting to see something,  _ any _ sign of- he felt something thorned start to wrap around his wrist, and by instinct cut through it with his sword- feeling it loosen and start to float off.

**_You will OBEY._ **

He felt more of them, fighting to pull him up, away, and continued hacking away at them, cracking a grin at that last demand. “Oh,  _ obey _ _?_ Have you  _ met _ either of us? You’d have better luck talking to an over-confident  _ asura _ .”

And suddenly, it felt… oddly  _ cold _ in this pool of… well, it was still easiest to call it water; and he was rather certain the dragon didn’t quite like the cold, given it’s first place of residence. He’d grin wider, despite the quick increase in attacking vines.

“If she only barely obeys  _ death itself _ , do you  _ really _ think she’s got a chance of obeying  _ you ?” _

And then another, drastic drop in temperature. He’d move his arms, and feel the vines shatter around them with a sharp  _ crack _ as the temperature continued to drop, only grinning further. Now, that didn’t take much, did it? He started to see them floating away in his own glow, encased in a shimmering, spiked layer of ice- almost forming patterns in the water as they continued, somewhat, to freeze, then starting to rapidly spread through the water- though… thankfully, not towards himself. They hadn’t practiced underwater, sure, but that couldn’t stop them now. Then, a flash of green light, and then more, more light filled the cavern- nearly blinding in the near-pitch-blackness, in ribbons and trails towards the bottom of whatever this pool was- and once again, Canach heard the dragon  **_roar_ ** . No words, only pain. Good.

He’d swim forwards again, soon catching sight of violet light as Seremnis seemed to push something away before turning back to him- smiling. She was smiling.

“Took you long enough,” she chided, holding a hand out to him. He’d cluck his tongue, rolling his eyes.

“Honestly, I didn’t think something like  _ this _ would keep you,” he returned. Still… well, it’d sure… increase their chances of survival here, that was a perfectly fine reason to hold someone else’s-

The current abruptly took a sharp turn downwards, forcing the both of them to the bottom of the pool as water rushed past them, gallons of it pouring into who-knew-where- and, just as suddenly, it was over. The water gone, ground slick and…  _ slimy _ \- ugh, he hated this- the light returning, though still only dimly.

**_I am still in control._ **

Canach pushed himself up, and- firstly- noticed Seremnis' hand still holding almost  _ too _ tightly onto his own. Then, he'd notice the sap still lazily bubbling from a deep wound in her shoulder. Then, he'd notice the shadow looming overhead- a massive figure, dwarfing the platform they stood upon as it rose from the depths.

**_You still belong to me._ **

"...You should have stayed hidden," Canach muttered, already reaching for an explosive- not keen on waiting for whatever dramatic speech the dragon had.

**_You owe me your existence._ **

"We owe you * _ nothing! " _

Canach almost  _ flinched _ \- almost- at the fury in Seremnis' voice.

"You never wanted sylvari! We never wanted  _ you _ _!"_ She took a step forwards, necrotic energy flowing from her axe as she swung it across the air, matching scars being cut across the serpentine figure in front of them.

"We have become more than you ever dreamed we could!"

Canach took the opportunity to throw- the explosive hitting it's mark, exploding at the side of the serpent's head with a satisfying, chest-deep  _ thud _ as the dragon snarled- and then, once more, vines, sprouting from nearly every space of ground there was to be had; and as many of them as Canach cut down, as Seremnis stole the life from and watched crumble to pieces, it was far too short a time before he could feel a few finding holes in his armor.

**_The firstborn will be my anchor, you my champion. Nothing shall stop my rise._ **

Canach heard Seremnis growl beside him. "His  _ name _ is-"

Then sudden, choked silence- he could only barely see beyond the vines one  _ drenched  _ in golden sap, curled in and out of- the cavern started to brighten, to-

_...The dragons are not stars in the sky. _

A voice, again. Quiet, tired, but still… hopeful, somehow. Canach cut through another vine that'd gotten uncomfortably close to his neck, grimacing.

_ They can be counted. _

He reached for another explosive, threw it into the crowd of thorns- watched them burn, only to be replaced by another wave; tried to ignore the pained, choking noises of the sylvari beside him.

_ They can be fought. _

He was trying. He was  _ trying _ , to _w_ _ in _ , to  _ save _ them,  _ all _ of them-

_ Some day… _

...And then, all of a sudden, a burst of shadow next to him- seeping into the vines, draining them, withering them into brown husks. Finally able to look, she… only barely resembled herself, wreathed in shadow- but not… not completely; this time, he could see, hidden within shadow, flecks of color- light, shifting in hue… crystal.

"...Only then will Tyria be safe," Seremnis muttered- voice warped by the shade, but it's fury no less present as she raised a hand, held it's palm towards the serpent as it lunged towards the both of them, and fired a small, green orb towards it- and though Canach prepared to at least  _ attempt _ to evade the attack, the orb's impact sprouted a sudden bloom of crystal over the serpent's skin, freezing it's silhouette in shifting light.

The world fell still, silent, for a moment or two.

And then Seremnis' shade fell, and she stumbled a step, taking a deep breath. It had escaped him sometimes, but in these dreams, she was still… powerful.

And then she'd look towards him, giving him a smile. "I'll go ahead and let you do the honors."

He shot her a grin back. Well, of course… he gripped his sword, stepping towards the serpent, then raised it to strike.

Of course- so was he.

He brought the sword down- and the serpent, and the dragon's mind

shattered.

\----

\---

His limbs felt… hard to move, but- this time less because they were drowning in syrup, and more because they were just… heavy. It wasn't quite unpleasant, though- he could feel… soft grass, beneath him…

“Canach…?”

He opened his eyes, squinting a little at the bright, golden-green light that now surrounded them- the soft sound of wind blowing through trees, the wave of grass... 

He heard a long sigh. “...Good, you’re still here. Wouldn’t want to go through all that just to leave you behind, now would we?”

He’d snort, recognizing the voice as Seremnis’, pushing himself up to sit. “Am I  _ really _ oh so charming?”

He saw her… smiling again- tired, but... 

She grinned. “You know what? Yes, you are. Who else am I going to insult an elder dragon’s room decor with?”

“If I remember correctly,  _ you _ started that,” he countered.

“Yes, but you finished it,” she returned triumphantly, sitting up a bit straighter to emphasize.

He rolled his eyes, trying to ignore her smug look, gazing further around the grassy plain. There were a few distant trees, but the whole place was lit with a bright, somewhat sunless golden sky, as if they were, somehow, all back in the Dream- besides the small, sparkling flecks of crystal drifting about in the air.

So, since this certainly wasn’t reality quite yet, where was…

“Hey! You’re finally up!” Enkkioh shouted, rushing over to them. “Alchemy, that must’ve been the  _ coolest _ fight to watch- you should’ve seen what just happened, all those vines just turned to crystal and  _ shattered _ while I was fightin’ ‘em off, just as the marshal finished givin’ ‘is speech-” She threw her fists up into the air. “We won! We all  _ won !” _

“You almost sound like you weren’t confident we would,” Seremnis chided, tilting her head a little.

“Oh, I mean- really, we had no idea what would happen in there, so I couldn’t be  _ entirely _ sure this would work. I, uh. Just figured the confidence boost would help.” Enkkioh shrugged. “I made sure the shutdown button was big, blue, labelled, and in the middle, just in case.”

Canach blinked. “...Well, I suppose I’m glad you didn’t stake  _ all _ our lives on this.”

Enkkioh nodded. “Mhm. Always gotta have safety measures when working with subjects- especially ones like you two.” She perked up. “Oh! I should take you to the marshal- I still haven’t told ‘im how to shut the whole thing down. Wanted to make sure you were fine first.”

Canach stood along with Seremnis to follow. “...Ones like us two?” He repeated.

“Ones I like being around,” she replied happily, already trotting forwards. Canach shook his head. Never what he expected to hear, from this one.

He’d only register when he was pulled forwards that Seremnis had still been holding his hand.

\--

It was a good… minute walk, maybe? It felt like a while, but time was rather hard to keep track of here. But, eventually, they could see a dark, green shape, lying in the grass- on his back, eyes closed, a blissful looking smile on his face…

“Trahearne?” There was a small note of worry in Seremnis’ voice as she called to him, but it left as soon as he opened his eyes, looking over to the both of them and pushing himself up to sit.

“...Well, I… suppose a fair amount of thanks are in-”

He was rather quickly interrupted by Seremnis, finally letting go of Canach’s hand and rushing forward to pull the firstborn into a hug- already burying her face into his shoulder as he returned the embrace, taking a long, deep breath.

“...I am… sorry that I’ve brought you into this,” he murmured after a moment, almost too quietly for Canach to hear.

“No. It was worth it,” Seremnis returned, just as quietly. “I’d gladly do it again.”

“...That’s what I worry about, at times…” Trahearne then looked up towards Canach and Enkkioh, smile returning to his face. “But thank you. All of you. I… owe you my life.” He looked to Canach a little more specifically. “Some of you, twice over, now.”

Alright, being looked at like that was… decidedly weird. “You don’t have to be all sentimental about it,” Canach huffed.

“I’m rather sure I do,” Trahearne returned evenly.

Canach only rolled his eyes.

“If the information I’ve been told is correct, far more people than I should be thanking you regardless,” he continued.

“I did not go into the depths of the jungle to save  _ you _ , specifically, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Trahearne laughed. “No, that would be the commander. Still, I doubt you can deny you played a part. Nor does it excuse you from this most recent endeavor. You’ve managed an impressive thing.”

“Yes, I’ve helped kill off an elder dragon. Twice. I believe that makes us even.”

Trahearne only smiled at him. “A little more than that, but… I suppose, in some ways, it does.”

Then what…? Oh, it didn’t matter. It was done- everything was saved, Mordremoth was  _ finally _ gone… now all he had to deal with was Anise, and whatever else was trying to tear the whole of Tyria into pieces. Really ruined the mood to remember there were two more elder dragons and a crazed politician to deal with.

Though, first… hm. This…  _ was _ Trahearne’s dream, wasn’t it? Which meant… well. Perhaps an experiment. Canach tilted his head, studying Trahearne for a few moments- the other seeming to return the gesture- before speaking.

“...A question, before we all part ways.” He saw Seremnis’ ear twitch a little, and smiled. Oh, she knew what was coming. “What, exactly,  _ are _ you and the... ‘claw of trinity’, was it?”

He saw the firstborn stiffen, blinking at him in surprise. “Ah- just… mostly a good companion- certainly a good strategist, and…” he looked away, and got that oh-so-familiar distant look in his eyes. Canach grinned. “...I… really won’t mind spending more time with him, reading, watching him fall asleep, the ways his paws twitch, and such soft, long fur-”

He’d only stop because of hearing Seremnis’ muffled snort, clearly- to Canach, at least- trying  _ so _ hard not to laugh- and Trahearne looked back up at him. “...Why are you looking at me like that...?”

Canach grinned further. “We can all hear you, you know.”

And that look on that face? Recognition, followed by shock and betrayal, markings across his face glowing in the  _ brightest _ of violets, mouth agape- oh, thorns, it made the _e_ _ ntire _ experience  _ so _ much more worth it. Trahearne’s eyes then snapped to Seremnis as she burst out into  _ giggles _ , still trying to muffle it in his shoulder, and he gave a resigned sigh. “I am betrayed by my own family.”

And Seremnis leaned back just enough to see his face, still grinning. “Oh, shush. Everyone already knows you’re a love-struck dork.”

“Is it really  _ that _ obvious?”

“Yes. Now we need to get you out of your own head so you can tell your ‘fluffy kitten’ the good news.”

“...I see I need to invest in soundproofing.”

Canach grinned. “Or a way to keep yourself from talking in your sleep,” He added.

Trahearne breathed a long, weary sigh, despite the soft smile on his face. “Let’s just… please wake up now.”

\---

-

It’d turned out about as sappy as he’d expected, after waking up. It was still… a bit of a shock, again, to see Trahearne still so… corrupted- but given how happy he looked to tell Albas that Mordremoth was gone, he was still certainly himself. The two of them, along with Enkkioh and their machine, (Enkkioh had complained that they still hadn’t come up with a name for it, but Canach refused to accept ‘Dream Machine’ as a valid answer), were likely already headed to the Priory, hoping to hide the machine away somewhere neither the Inquest, nor the Nightmare Court could possibly reach it; as well as get Trahearne and Albas to a… nicer place than a cave to rest.

Despite how tired  _ Canach _ was, though, he… still had to report in to Anise. He had, perhaps, been  _ slightly _ avoiding doing so for a day or two while on the project; he’d left, at times, to report in before, but… the longer he could avoid being around Anise, the better. Still, he didn’t have nearly a good enough excuse anymore; especially not if the release of his billet was so close.

It wasn’t too long into his walk there, though, before he noticed he was being shadowed. He’d start to draw his sword once he noticed- he was planning on using bandits as an excuse to Anise on why he’d been late, after all, and he wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be a  _ little _ true- but, upon seeing a familiar, purple glow, he’d sheathe it again. Seremnis only gave him a smile, despite the tiredness in her eyes.

“You really didn’t think you’d be getting rid of me  _ that _ easily, did you?”

-

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to @actually-an-octopus for 1) dragging me into this game in the first place, 2) letting me scream with them in dms about it for like a year now 3) helping play out a good few of these scenes, and 4) for being the owner of Albas, a mesmer charr and very fluffy boy.  
> Also, if that one dream sequence seems a little inconsistent and odd, I write it while half-asleep for authenticity's sake. It is a dream sequence, after all.  
> And, yes, I made this account specifically to post this. I'm not going to paste a 10,000 word fic straight onto Tumblr. I don't even know if Tumblr has a character limit, but this would probably break it.  
> Oh and I might make this a series...? Haven't decided yet. The Dream Machine will return if I do, though.


End file.
